Voter ID: Amendment opponents frustrated with DFL

Some opponents of Minnesota's proposed voter ID amendment are angry at the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, saying the organization is not putting enough resources into defeating the measure.

Phyllis Hill, a lead organizer with the Twin Cities faith-based group ISAIAH, told Minnesota Public Radio that the requirement, which would force voters to show a government-issued ID at the polls, would be a setback for civil rights.

She said she's frustrated by the campaign's lack of resources and disappointed that the DFL hasn't done more to help. She said she recently resorted to paying for lawn signs for her nonpartisan group to distribute.

"I just feel like, 'Why haven't you come out on this?'" Hill said. "And what I've heard is that they say 'because we couldn't win it.' Well, it's because you didn't try. You can't tell me that each ballot you went into you knew you were going to win."

The Rev. Jerry McAfee of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis accused the DFL of ignoring voter ID and focusing instead on defeating the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, a measure the pastor supports.

McAfee described the voter ID amendment as a "direct threat to democracy" and "a step backward for people of color" because it would make it harder for many of them to vote. McAfee credits some Democrats -- including U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, state Rep. Bobby Joe Champion and state Sen.

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Jeff Hayden, all of Minneapolis -- for taking strong stands against voter ID. But he said the party has not done the same.

"What black folk need to do is wake up and evaluate the Democratic Party harder than they've been doing," he said. "Because they've left us out to dry, and many others."

Voter ID supporters say it will help prevent voter fraud, but opponents say that is rare in Minnesota and charge the real goal is to suppress turnout among groups that tend to vote Democratic.

The DFL officially opposes both amendments, and State Chairman Ken Martin insisted they are equal priorities. He said the party has already directed tens of thousands of dollars, as well as other support, to the voter ID opposition.

"Resources are very tough to come by, and part of the challenge for this amendment is that there is not a lot of resources being devoted to that from other outside partners and interest groups," Martin said.

"The party is doing everything it can with limited resources to try to help get the word out and defeat this. It would be really unfair to say the party isn't doing its part."

The leading statewide anti-amendment group is Our Vote Our Future, a coalition of 80 organizations including more than a dozen labor unions.

ISAIAH is also a member.

In July, Our Vote Our Future reported that it had raised more than $200,000 since the start of the year, slightly better than the $185,000 that amendment supporters raised in the same period.

Fundraising and spending by both sides in the marriage amendment campaign has been much higher.